Hunters
by The Mome Raths Outgrabe
Summary: Spoilers for up to 7x22. What if rather than Matt it had been someone else. Someone who might understand a little bit more what Bonnie was going through.
**Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries**

 **Spoilers: For 7x21 and slightly for 22.**

 **Warning: This is not romantic Beremy. So sorry for those of you who love Beremy.**

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Bonnie woke up to find herself in the back of the car. Part of her was glad, she didn't want to hurt anyone but her instincts screamed at her to kill everyone, especially Damon at the moment. She tried to move her arms but found them strapped down. Fortunately and unfortunately she was a whole hell of a lot stronger than she used to be when she was a human or a witch. She tried to break them but found she couldn't. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she knew she was strong and was confused why it seemed not to be working.

"You can stop that." When she heard the words she did stop but not because the person asked her to but because of the owner of the voice. She hadn't heard that voice in years. However, the moment didn't last long before she tried again to get out of her restraints. They were metal and strong.

"Those were meant to stop Tyler on a full moon. They could hold a 600-pound grizzly and even though you're strong it will probably take you awhile to break those." The voice from the front added not seeming at worried about her trying to break free. She was worried but at the same time, she wanted out. It was really frustrating feeling both and she wanted out of the damn chains! The van she was in suddenly started slowing down and a moment later the back doors of the van were thrown open lighting the figure in front of in sunlight. He ducked his head slightly and she could see him a lot clearer.

"Hey Bonnie," he said as he climbed into the back of the van shutting the door behind him, but keeping well out of the range of her legs.

"Jeremy, why are you here?" Bonnie asked surprised. She hadn't really heard from him since he had left Mystic Falls other than the odd text or two. After Jeremy had left and Bonnie had broken up with him when she came back from the 1994 world, everything between the two of them had very quickly dissolved. He smiled in response to her question.

"Well someone told me that you got yourself your own crazy hunter instincts," he said with a knowing smile. "They're loads of fun aren't they? Especially when everyone around you is one?" He asked chipperly. She knew where he was going with this. Bonnie had helped Jeremy overcome his hunting instincts that had made him want to kill Elena and all the other vampires around them.

"That was different." Bonnie had helped him do that but Jeremy had liked her at the time. She still liked Jeremy as a person but she didn't think of him in a romantic way anymore. Jeremy nodded.

"I know. We had something going on between us back then. I know we don't anymore." He said with an easy smile. She looked him up and down. He was even more muscled than he had been the last time the two had seen each other. His boyish face had transformed which might've had something to do with the facial hair he was supporting. It wasn't a lot but it looked like he hadn't shaved in a day or two. He was wearing a leather coat and just seemed so much different than the boy she remembered.

"You look good," she said honestly.

"Thanks, you look," he gestured to the metal.

"You can't keep me locked up forever," Bonnie part warned part threatened him.

"Don't need to. Just need to keep you here long enough to give the others enough time to get what they need to get done done." She jerked the chains harshly. She wanted out but she was also glad that they had been able to get ahold of Jeremy. He had more personal experience with hunters than anyone else because he was one himself. The hunter part of her wanted to focus solely on the chains but the part of her that still cared for everyone she was trying to kill tried to focus her attention on Jeremey to give whatever her friends were trying to do time.

"So what have you been up to for the past three years?" Jeremy asked like the two of them were catching up in a cafe, like it wasn't happening with her chained in the back. That briefly made her wonder if this wasn't the first time he had done this.

"Hiding in a cottage slowly unknowingly killing myself you?" she answered in the same light tone. If Jeremy was surprised or saddened by the news he didn't show it. He replied to her comment continuing in the same light tone of voice.

"Hunting Vampires who won't stop killing people." That surprised her long enough to stop struggling for the moment. He was supposed to be at art school, having a normal life. That's why Elena had let him. It was part of the reason she had let him go too, even though the main reason was that she had changed so much in the other world. When she had come back from it, she just wasn't able to see herself still with Jeremy. Some of the flippantness went out of his voice and he grimaced.

"I know I was supposed to be at art school but that...that normal life...that's not me. I know Elena wanted that for me and so did everyone else...and honestly, Elena tends to get what she wants whether or not anyone wants it. She sent me away for my safety but she couldn't stop Kohl from showing up." Bonnie nodded. Now that she had some distance she could see that Elena for all the times she wanted Damon and Stefan to let her make her own choices despite what they wanted had also made unilateral decisions to protect Jeremy without his permission. Jeremy's face took on a wistful look " I hate not being able to see her, but at least I'm not going to have to be the one to tell her that rather go to art school like I said I was I became a hunter," he said with a shrug and laugh at the end.

"I won't either," Bonnie replied sadly remembering that she would never see Elena again. He quickly made his way to her and grabbed her hand. While she appreciated the gesture she also had to battle the urge to break it and then search his body for the keys. He must have seen it in her eyes.

"I don't have the keys on me. You break something all you're going to get is a lot less friendliness." He said lightly but she could see the warning behind it.

"Don't tempt me," she warned back nodding at his arm. Jeremy nodded and removed his hand and crossed his arms in front of him.

"From what little I've heard and been able to find out, I heard your kind of hunter is much stronger than my kind." Bonnie nodded, she didn't have trouble believing it. Jeremy shrugged. "So maybe you could come help me for a little bit. There's this vampire three states over that's killed 20 people in the last year." She wanted to, she really did. She really wished it could be over just like that.

"It's not that simple," she said with a shake of her head. "I marked them. They're all I can think about." She closed her eyes and she could see them all in her mind: some driving and others talking to each other on their phones. Jeremy nodded but didn't look all that bothered about it.

"What if I bring you vampires and you mark them and I put them somewhere far away for you to find?"

"Unless you have the vampire right here that's not going to help!" she barked. Her hunter's instincts were rising up making her increasingly frustrated at being locked up and she jerked her chains again. "Jeremy you're a hunter. You understand I have to kill them." she pleaded. The urge rippled under her skin screaming at her. Jeremy nodded.

"Yeah but you also don't want to." She didn't...but she did. She was frustrated by being kept there but also thankful. It was like she was two people...and it was exhausting. Especially since her body kept struggling against the chains. She wasn't tired, her hunter strength gave her surprising endurance. "It doesn't matter," and it didn't. It didn't matter whether or not she actually wanted to hurt her friends her instincts were stronger.

"Try to remember the people you're hunting. Your best friend Caroline, Stefan. Honestly, I understand Damon. Who hasn't wanted to kill him once or twice? " he said attempting a joke which fell flat. He didn't speak for a long moment before he added reluctantly like it left a bad taste in his mouth "And Enzo." he made a face and looked at her incredulously. "Enzo? Really?" she still struggled even as she felt defensive of her boyfriend. Yes, she knew that Enzo hadn't always been on their side and at times had strange plans and motives but she still felt the need to defend him.

"He's different now. He spent the last 3 years trying to keep me safe and even though him trying to keep me safe led to this, I know he was trying to protect me." And because she didn't appreciate his crack at her boyfriend she shot back "and at least he's not a ghost." He looked chagrined and guilty at that. He moved forward but quickly stepped backward when her legs moved unconsciously trying to kick him. His eyes watched her warily as the humor drained out of his body and he was completely stoic. She had a feeling that if she hadn't been chained up that would have really hurt him and Bonnie knew if he tried again so would she.

"Jeremy I can't stop this," she said sadly as she still struggled. "You have to stop me." Jeremy nodded but didn't make a move to do anything, he only watched her struggle.

"Stop me!" she begged him. She saw him grab a gun from behind him. She was slightly wary now. Jeremy wouldn't shoot her would he? Unless it was a dart

-something flew from the end and embedded itself into her stomach. She looked down to see a tranq dart in her, again.

"This one better last longer than the other," she warned groggily as her eyes started to fall closed. The last thing she heard before it all faded into blackness was.

"It will," which made her feel strangely glad.


End file.
